gratitude – Ruthann M. Wilson

10 Practices to Restore Rhythm and Meaning in Daily Life

Life moves quickly. It’s easy to overlook the quiet moments that bring meaning and connection. These ten practices are grounded in three core principles: reverence, rhythm, and rooted presence.

Each one offers a way to slow down and deepen your experience of your day. They are simple and accessible, designed to help you pause, listen, and be with your day in a more intentional way.

Whether it’s lighting a candle, placing your feet on the earth, or ending your day with gratitude, these small actions can gently reshape how you move through your day.

You don’t need to follow a specific order. Let your intuition guide you. Choose one practice each day, or return to the ones that feel most supportive.

1. Light a Candle with Intention

Practice: Before you begin your day, light a candle with quiet reverence. Let the flame reflect your inner fire: your presence, your purpose, and the energy you choose to carry into the day.
Journal Prompt: How can I tend to my inner flame throughout the day?

2. Sit in Silence for Five Minutes

Practice: Pause. Breathe. Listen. Let the quiet speak. Let it guide you.
Journal Prompt: What arises in the quiet when I stop trying to fill it?

3. Choose a Gentle Phrase to Carry

Practice: Select a simple phrase like “I am here” or “This moment matters” to guide you through the day.
Journal Prompt: What phrase feels like a gentle anchor for me today?

4. Place Your Bare Feet on the Earth

Practice: Step outside. Feel the ground beneath your feet: solid, steady, alive. Let it support you.
Journal Prompt: What helps me feel rooted and supported in this moment?

5. Make Tea Slowly

Practice: Prepare your tea with care. Feel the warmth, breathe in the aroma, and notice the quiet unfolding of the moment.
Journal Prompt: How can I let this moment of preparation become a ritual of care?

6. Let Yourself Cry, Laugh, or Rest

Practice: Honor your emotions. Let them move through you, whether through tears, laughter, or quiet stillness, without judgment.
Journal Prompts: What feeling have I been holding, and how might I let it move through me?

7. Write a Note of Appreciation

Practice: Send a short message to someone you love. Let your words be a gift.
Journal Prompt: Who has touched my life in a way I want to honor?

8. Place Your Hands Over Your Heart

Practice: Close your eyes. Place your hand over your heart. Feel its rhythm. Listen to its wisdom.
Journal Prompt: What does my heart want me to know or remember?

9. Do One Thing Slowly

Practice: Let one simple act such as walking, eating, or talking become a ritual. Slow down. Be present. Let intention guide you. When repeated with reverence, even the smallest gesture can become a doorway to meaning.
Journal Prompt: What opens in me when I choose to slow down?

10. End Your Day with Reflection & Gratitude

Practice: Ask yourself what felt sacred today. Whisper a word of thanks. Let the day close in quiet reverence.
Journal Prompts: What moment today held unexpected meaning or beauty? What am I quietly grateful for as I close this day?

These practices aren’t meant to be perfected or put on display. They are meant to be lived quietly, intuitively, day by day.

You don’t need to do them all. You don’t need to get them “right.” What matters is that you show up with intention and let meaning find its way into your everyday life.

I’m grateful you paused here. If it feels meaningful, you’re welcome to share it with others. You can follow the blog for new posts, subscribe to the mailing list for updates, or connect on social media to stay in touch.

All the best,
Ruthann

Envision the Month Ahead: Four Questions to Ask Yourself

As we begin a new month, I invite you to set aside a few minutes to start the month with the end in mind. Ask yourself the following questions with the end of the month in mind.

What meaningful accomplishments will I have achieved by the end of the month?
With whom will I have intentionally spent time, and how did those connections enrich me?
What will I have released because it is complete, no longer brings me joy, or serves my highest good?
What daily practices will have kept me grounded and present throughout the month?

Consider making a vision board that includes words, images, and symbols representing your desired outcome (click here to see my post on vision boards).

If you need help setting goals, check out my post SMART Goals: Bring Your Desires to Life, where I share the SMART approach to creating written goals and structuring your time. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Evaluate your progress on a weekly basis. In evaluating progress, think not only about what you have accomplished, but who you have become as a part of the process. Reflect on the changes in your mindset, your habits, as well as your overall outlook on life, as these are just as important as tangible accomplishments.

Acknowledge the challenges you’ve faced and the strength you’ve gained from working through them. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. Recognize that growth can sometimes be slow and nonlinear. Allow yourself the grace to evolve at your own pace. Take the first step, write down one thing you intend to accomplish.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or stirred a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Weekly Reflection Prompts for Personal Growth

Each week carries its own rhythm. When we take time to look back and gently look forward, we honor our progress and invite clarity.

A weekly reflection, just 15–20 minutes, can become a sacred pause. It’s a way to gently realign, notice what’s unfolding, and make space for what matters most. I have outlined a few questions, best answered in writing, to help get you started.

Look back

What felt complete or meaningful this week?
What remains unfinished, and what might that reveal?
What did I learn?
How did I grow?
What felt aligned?
What felt off, heavy, or resistant? What gentle shift might help me meet it differently?
What felt like a gift this week?
Where did I offer presence, support, or light?

Look forward

What matters most in the week ahead? Why?
Based on my review of last week, what might I do differently in the coming week?

Let this weekly reflection become an anchoring practice. A way to honor your movement, your learning, and your becoming.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in how you see, feel, or move through the world, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

All the best,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2024), I’m revisiting the practice of finishing strong. In this short video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete what needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

To support your reflection, I’ve included a downloadable worksheet updated for 2024 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here.

Thank you for pausing here. If my video has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2023), I’m revisiting the practice of finishing strong. In this short video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete what needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

To support your reflection, I’ve included a downloadable worksheet updated for 2023 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here.

You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button. You can share posts with others by clicking on a share button below. Join my mailing list to receive email updates (Join mailing list)

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Gratitude: A 30‑Day Practice to Begin and End Each Day with Thanks

Gratitude is a simple yet profound practice that can shift how we experience life. By beginning and ending each day with thanks, we invite peace, contentment, and a deeper awareness of the blessings already present.

Being grateful is a simple practice that can have a profound effect on your life. Everyone has something to be grateful for – food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, health, career, financial abundance, transportation, new beginnings, new opportunities, life lessons – just to name a few. When we focus on what we have and feel a deep sense of gratitude for it, we are able to shift into a state of peace and contentment even if life is not exactly as we wish it to be.

For the next 30 days, I invite you into a gentle rhythm of gratitude, twofold in its simplicity:

Begin and end each day with gratitude. You may be thinking that you are too busy and not able to add anything else to your schedule. I hear you! It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. As an example, in the morning, I simply give thanks for the gift of a new day as soon as I open my eyes. In the evening, I review the day and express gratitude for whatever I consider to be gifts, blessings, or life lessons. I enjoy writing things down as it gives me an opportunity to review what I have captured over time. Create a daily practice that works for you and your lifestyle.

Express gratitude to others. Make a point to call, send an email, send a text, write a handwritten note to someone each day expressing gratitude.

If you miss a day, it’s okay! Work toward creating a consistent practice over the next 30 days and beyond.

Gratitude is a daily choice to notice, honor, and give thanks for the gifts of life.

Thank you for pausing here. If something in these words offered insight or stirred a shift, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

With gratitude,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Fall Reflections: Gather your gifts, blessings, and life lessons

Hello October!

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe it is the last quarter of the calendar year. What a journey it has been from January to today!

I welcome the change of season and the gifts and opportunities that it brings. Autumn is a season of harvest, thanksgiving, reflection, completion, and letting go of of things that no longer bring you joy or serve your highest good.

Quiet Reflection

This month is a good time to begin harvesting by asking yourself questions like “What did I learn?”, “How did I grow?”, “Who or what has been my greatest blessing?”. Asking and answering these questions in writing is a wonderful way to bring awareness to the gifts, blessings, and life lessons that have been provided to you this year. Schedule time to sit in quiet reflection and answer the suggested questions or create your own. Set an intention to make this process a seasonal practice, if it isn’t already one. Use the power of the written word to solidify this practice.

Evaluate Progress

It’s also a great time to evaluate progress relative to your goals. If you have formal goals, check your progress relative to the milestones you established at the beginning of the year. If you don’t have formal goals, think about what you set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year and what you have accomplished to date. In evaluating progress, think not only about what you have accomplished, but who you have become as a part of the process.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Embrace Your Career Journey: The Power of Being Present

In addition to being a writer/author, I’ve had a long and fruitful career in corporate America. I had an opportunity to speak with a group of graduating students about my work and experience growing a career in a corporate setting. The students were a part of intensive training program that provided them with technical and professional skills. I love new beginnings and the energy of new graduates about to embark on their careers. I recall graduating from college and being excited about my first job post graduation. I had a very supportive supervisor and transition into my career.

One of the six career lessons that I shared with the graduates is to be where you are. The lesson was shared through a corporate lens; however, it’s also a powerful life lesson.

My message as it relates to being where you are in a corporate setting is to know what is expected of you, do your current job really well, and be open to new assignments/opportunities that can help you stretch and grow into the next role. Oftentimes, when people are early in a career, the goal is get to the next level quickly. The focus often becomes getting promoted/getting to the next level instead of learning, growing, excelling, and enjoying their current role. Moving too quickly can be problematic when an employee is promoted and not prepared for their next role. I encouraged them to be fully present and embrace the journey of growing into their next role.

The bigger life lesson is to live in the here and now; not in the past or in the future, but where you are right now. You can make the most of where you are by cultivating habits and practices that enable you stay grounded and present in your life. A few things to consider:

Give thanks for your life, even if it’s not exactly as you wish it to be
Reduce multi-tasking and focus on doing one thing at a time
Give other people the gift of your full attention
Spend time in nature and literally put your feet on the ground
Be intentional with your time
Breathe deeply
Meditate/embrace silence

Being where you are is about making the most of where you are right now. It has a way of opening doors and drawing people and opportunities to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone that might benefit from this message, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Year-End Reflection Practices to Finish Strong

This year (2022), I’m revisiting the practice of finishing strong. In this short video, I provide suggestions to bring the year to a close in a way that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Celebrate what you have accomplished to date.
Complete what needs to be completed.
Make room for something new.

To support your reflection, I’ve included a downloadable worksheet updated for 2022 so you can work through the exercises step by step. You can access the worksheet here .

All the best,

Ruthann

Reflect on Your Year: The Power of Gratitude

It’s been a tough year, to say the least. It may be difficult to see your blessings through all of the challenges, but they are there. If you keep a gratitude journal, take time to review and reflect on what you have captured over the course of the year. If you don’t have a gratitude journal, take time to reflect on the past year and note whatever you consider to be gifts, blessings, or life lessons.

Questions for reflection:

Who or what was my greatest blessing?
What did I learn? How did I grow?
How was I a blessing to others?

Gratitude is the key to creating a joy-filled and abundant life. Giving thanks for everything that has been provided to you will increase your appreciation for your life and help you cultivate a mindset of abundance that will take root and blossom in your life.

Wishing you peace and abundant blessings.

Ruthann